'Housing not stadiums' Brazil in the grip of protest as World Cup looms
- 10 years ago
Protesters have clashed with riot police in the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The country is in the grip of unrest with teachers, civil servants, police officers, bus drivers and the homeless furious at the cost of hosting the upcoming football World Cup.
Demonstrators are demanding housing not stadiums.
In Recife, a city due to host five World Cup matches, a police strike sparked looting prompting the government to send in the army to restore order, resulting in hundreds of arrests.
“We are asking the question who is the World Cup for ? The answer is not for the people of Brazil. So we are against this type of event that excludes the majority of the population,” said one woman on the street.
Activists see an opportunity to exert maximum pressure on the government as the tournament looms in June.
Plans are afoot to stage strikes in all 12 host cities during the event something the government and world football’s governing body FIFA will be keen to avoid.
The country is in the grip of unrest with teachers, civil servants, police officers, bus drivers and the homeless furious at the cost of hosting the upcoming football World Cup.
Demonstrators are demanding housing not stadiums.
In Recife, a city due to host five World Cup matches, a police strike sparked looting prompting the government to send in the army to restore order, resulting in hundreds of arrests.
“We are asking the question who is the World Cup for ? The answer is not for the people of Brazil. So we are against this type of event that excludes the majority of the population,” said one woman on the street.
Activists see an opportunity to exert maximum pressure on the government as the tournament looms in June.
Plans are afoot to stage strikes in all 12 host cities during the event something the government and world football’s governing body FIFA will be keen to avoid.